in the grille of a car. >>> welcome back. there are several signs thattheeconomyisimproving this morning. u.s. auto sales were up again last month to their highest level in more than four years. part of that is buyers need to replace aging vehicles and feel more confident about their jobs. loans are cheaper and easier to obtain, as well. >>> and home prices were up more than 4.5% in august, compared to last year. that's the largest increase in more than six years. this latest report, plus one showing more home sales and builder confidence, indicates we are finally seeing a rebound in the housing market. >>> but another indicator shows that we're not that confident about the economy. the birthrate fell for the fourth year in a row, down 1% from the year before. the good news is that it didn't fall as much as in recent years. just 4 million births were recorded last year. that's the lowest number since 1998. >>> then, we have this. the beer index. shipments are rising for the first time since the start of the recession. analysts say that's a sure sign that consumers, particularly young men, a